Digital History
| Growth of Western Cities | ||||
| 1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | |
| Chicago | 5,000 | 30,000 | 109,000 | |
| Cincinnati | 25,000 | 46,000 | 115,000 | 161,000 |
| Cleveland | 1,000 | 6,000 | 17,000 | 43,000 |
| Detroit | 2,000 | 9,000 | 21,000 | 46,000 |
| Milwaukee | 2,000 | 20,000 | 45,000 | |
| St. Louis | 6,000 | 14,000 | 78,000 | 161,000 |
Questions To Think About
1. Why do you think western cities grew so rapidly?
2. What functions did western cities serve?
| Growth of the Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin | |
| Year | Percent of U.S. Population |
| 1800 | 1.0 percent |
| 1810 | 3.8 percent |
| 1820 | 8.2 percent |
| 1830 | 11.4 percent |
| 1840 | 17.3 percent |
| 1850 | 20.3 percent |
| 1860 | 24.7 percent |
Questions To Think About
1. What factors may have contributed to the rapid growth of the Midwest?
2. What political consequences might the growth of the Midwest have had?